Kristaps Porziņġis is away from the Warriors, so the team isn't paying him because he isn't "rendering his services," as ESPN's Shams Charania reported. Sound familiar? Jake Fischer of The Stein Line compared the situation to what the Philadelphia 76ers experienced with Ben Simmons, but it's not nearly as complicated (subscription required), at least not right now.
It's a situation similar, I'm told, to when Philadelphia withheld Ben Simmons' salary while the Sixers' then-point guard did not report to training camp at the start of the 2021-22 season. Yet a key difference is that Porziņģis, unlike Simmons, has not demanded to be traded. It's also believed that Porziņģis is strongly contemplating retirement.
The Warriors signed Porziņģis to a two-year, $40 million extension over the offseason, and hopes were high as he entered his first full season in San Francisco. But he missed training camp and the entire preseason, which was thought to be primarily due to his health issues.
Before the regular season started, Golden State said that Porziņģis would be away from the team indefinitely. The Warriors have since changed his status from being out with an illness to being out of the team, and, as Charania first reported, they began exploring trade scenarios. He didn't request a trade like Simmons did.
It's a unique situation, but one that isn't as messy as Simmons' was in Philadelphia. Sam Amick and Nick Friedell of The Athletic reported (subscription required) that Porziņģis and the NBPA have "no current plans to challenge the Warriors' decision not to pay him."
That's a little different from the grievance Simmons filed to receive part of the $20 million the 76ers withheld from him.
Simmons requested a trade and 76ers withheld pay
Unfortunately, Simmons' ending in Philadelphia was ugly. He was struggling mentally and didn't feel like the 76ers offered him the support he needed. He stopped showing up to team activities, and as a result, the team withheld his pay.
Golden State is already at that point with Porziņģis, but the center isn't trying to fight the team over it. He's dealt with health issues for the past couple of years, dating back to his time in Boston, and initially, it seemed like that was the primary reason for his setback at the start of the season. While that could be a factor, clearly the Warriors feel his absence isn't justified.
It's looking more like we've seen the last of Porziņģis in the NBA, as he's contemplating retirement, but Golden State is trying to find a solution now by trading him. The problem with that is that it's the beginning of the season, and teams aren't looking to make that kind of move yet.
The 76ers ultimately ended their Simmons saga by trading him to the Nets right before the 2022 deadline, after he hadn't played in a game that season (and he didn't make his debut in Brooklyn until the following season). Things could turn out similarly with the Warriors, as a trade may not happen until weeks from now.
Maybe Golden State can find a way out of this without burning the bridge with Porziņģis, unlike what happened between Simmons and Philadelphia. But as 76ers fans unfortunately know, the longer it drags on, the messier it can get.
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